I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a closure for a container which closure is adapted to be utilized as a self-draining measuring cup when removed from the container.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In the packaging of present day consumer products such as liquid detergents, liquid fabric softeners, and other liquid cleaners, it is often necessary to measure a specific amount to be added to a washing machine or other receptacle. Most users of liquid laundry and cleaning products find it generally inconvenient to keep a separate measuring cup for use in adding liquid products such as detergents, bleaches and fabric softeners to washing machines since these simple measuring cups become sticky and coated with the residue from the viscous products. Further, the measuring cups are often misplaced or lost.
In an attempt to alleviate the problems with separate measuring cups there have recently been introduced to the market liquid detergents and fabric softeners which utilize an enlarged closure cap which when removed from the product container and inverted can function as a liquid measuring cup. However, a considerable amount of consumer displeasure with such measuring cups has been encountered because the excess liquid detergent or fabric softener which adheres to the inside of the cup or closure after it is used as a measuring cup drains down the inner wall of the closure and collects in the threaded area of the neck of the container when the combination closure-measuring cup is threaded back on the container neck. After the measuring cup-closure is used a number of times, the container neck threads become clogged with dried detergent or fabric softener or other product making it difficult to remove the cap from the container and also to thread the cap onto the container after use. Each time the measuring cup closure is used, the viscous liquid remaining in the cup drains down over the threads and tends to build up on the threads and on the neck of the container.
In very early times, there was some need to have a drinking cup conveniently accessible to the container for certain products such as milk or iced beverages, etc. In U.S. Pat. No. 70,450 there is disclosed a milk can which has an inverted cup provided underneath the sealing cap flange. The cup could be removed from the can and then utilized to sample or drink milk from the can. This container was constructed of metal which complicated the construction and utilization of the container carried therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,888 discloses a closure for a container such as a glass fruit jar or a thermos bottle. The drinking cup is attached to the underside of a metallic closure cap by means of a threaded base. Alternatively the cup could be affixed to the cap by soldering or welding. The drinking cup is inverted into the container and can extend down into the product carried in the container. Such a closure is complicated to construct and would be expensive and would not achieve the purpose needed for a measuring cup device for present day liquid detergents or similar products. Since this receptacle closure has the drinking cup extending into the product area, it would have a coating of the liquid product on the outside wall of the container where it would have to be gripped by the user.
It is well known to use preformed plastic closures which have a hollow shell or plug which extends down inside of the neck of the container and makes contact with the inner wall of the neck to provide an auxiliary liquid seal for the container. Examples of such type of container closures are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,241,846, 3,991,895 and 4,310,102. In these devices the cylindrical extension, which could be called a cup, extends down from the underside of the closure top wall. However, such hollow plugs are not utilized as a measuring device for the product in the container, but rather as an auxiliary sealing means.
The present state of the art in container closures which are useful as measuring cups does not solve the problem of product collection on the threads. There is definitely a need for a measuring-cup closure device which will provide freedom from coating the threads and the container neck with a viscous liquid product from the residual liquid contained in the measuring closure when it is inverted and threaded onto the container closure. There is a need to provide an integrally formed closure which will not require a multiplicity of forming operations or assembly in order that the measuring closure may be sufficiently economical to permit its use on relatively low cost products which do not permit use of more complicated and expensive closures.